The 89th Academy Awards ceremony takes place at the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood on Sunday, February 26, 2017. The event is aired on ABC at 7 p.m. The first Oscars ceremony in 1929 lasted only 15 minutes. The time is much longer now with all the remarks and performances throughout the show.
This is the first year black actors are nominated in every acting category. There were also 683 new members added to the Academy in 2016, making it the most diverse class ever.
Oscar host
Jimmy Kimmel is hosting the Oscars for the very first time compared to Bob Hope who hosted the event 19 times.
In interviews leading up to the Oscars, Kimmel said he was nervous. He has hosted the Emmys and other award shows. Besides, the 49-year-old host has been has been at the helm of his own "Jimmy Kimmel Live!" show for 14 years. Therefore, he is very capable for the job. His wife, Molly, who writes for Jimmy Kimmel Live!, has been helping him come up with jokes for this occasion.
Statue
The Oscar is the most coveted trophy in the entertainment industry. The 24-karat gold-plated statue is heavy. It weighs 8.5 pounds and stands 13.5 inches tall. Back in January, the statues were manufactured by the Chicago-based RS Owens & Company over a three to four-week period.
Cost of ceremony
The cost of the entire ceremony is about $42.8 million.
The 16,500-square-foot red carpet costs $30,000. It's an additional $119,800 per couple for the Governors Ball.
Outfits
Designer clothes don't belong to the people who wear them. They have to return them within 48 hours after the event. Jewelry must be returned as soon as the event is over.
Food
The Oscars’ official after party is the Governors Ball where the winners go to get their statues engraved and where they go to eat.
Food has been prepared by Wolfgang Puck for the last 23 years. The Austrian-born American celebrity chef and restaurateur released his 2017 menu earlier this week.
Different stations will be located around the room with foods in a party-like style, such as sushi, Korean steak tartare on puffed rice, baked potato with caviar, lobster and the highly requested slow-cooked chicken pot pie with black truffles that cost $36,000.
The dessert station has little chocolate replicas of the statue so people can walk away with an Oscar even if they didn’t win.
About 200 chefs helped to put the menu together which also includes many gluten free, dairy free vegetarian and vegan options. There is also gold-dusted popcorn.
Gift Bags
The 2017 "Everyone Wins" nominee gift bags are given to all nominees whether they win an Oscar or not. The contents in last year's gift bag totaled $232,000. This year's cost will be much higher. The bags contain a lifetime supply of Pu-erh Tea Nourishing Cream and Pu-erh Tea Cleansing Bar valued at $31,200 not including the other items.
This year's bags contain several week-long trips to famous places, including Hawaii. Other items are Casper's advanced dual-layer pillows, a 10-year supply of Oxygenetix Breathable Foundation and Moisturizer, and a 10-year supply of makeup.
